Forgiveness

By Stephen Thomson

The act of forgiveness is one of the greatest human virtues. To be able to forgive and then forget the actions of another or an event in life enables the continuation of our growth as spiritual people. When we continue to harbor deep feeling related to an event from the past, it robs us of our personal peace. It sets in motion events on a physical, mental and emotional level that become the backdrop of everyday life. We find our world colored by the residual effects that remain from our inability to forgive and move on with our lives.

From the time we are young, there are events and actions taken by others that create some type of emotional memory for us. For example, this can be something like a promise not being kept or, behavior toward us that creates a whole list of emotional responses. Whatever the issue is — the memory creates an energetic dynamic that is constantly at work within our aura and energy system of the body. We trap a corresponding energetic form within us and hold it somewhere in the body. The energy that remains trapped in the body becomes the source of disharmony in the psychic body and eventually impacts the physical body. In extreme cases this can result in some form of illness.

Most of us can easily think of something or someone who we need to forgive over the course of our lifetime. That includes the need to find a place of forgiveness for us. We can discover a lot about ourselves if we inventory the things we need to forgive. For example, where a parent is concerned, we may find our perception of their lack of care and compassion is not a short coming in them. In our evaluation, we may find that our needs were beyond their range of their capability. In all cases, if we take an impersonal look at an issue needing forgiveness, we can find the answer to questions about who we are and what we need from others. These are the core needs sometimes assign to others that in fact we can be the only person responsible and capable of fulfilling and satisfying. As an adult, our greatest pain comes in those situations when we are guilty of having given our power over to another. To be loved, accepted or honored — treated fairly. In the depth of the emotional issue we need to forgive, we will find ourselves and a reflection of our inner needs.

Until we are ready to forgive something or someone, and enter into an intentional process, the emotional counterpart is at play in every aspect of our lives. The residual energy is affecting us and our ability to move forward with our lives. To enter into the process of forgiveness is an active and conscious process. The first step involves a willingness to acknowledge the emotional pain and the place it holds in our consciousness. We have to remember that no matter how aware we are of something in need of forgiveness, the residual energy and memory is creating events everyday in our lives. This comes about in our subconscious reactions that have their roots in emotional events. The next step involves a decision on our part. Do we want to continue to live in the shadow of some past event that continues to influence our ability to experience peace within? Or do we want to forgive, forget and move forward?

Most often we become aware of the impact something is holding over us when we encounter a similar situation which brings back the memory of an earlier experience. Far more often, we are content to carry the emotions and memories without taking any action than to move through the memory and release the energetic hold we continue to operate under in our lives. The ceremony of forgiveness continues when we understand that the act of forgiveness will result in powerful and lasting affects in our lives. The ability to go to the core of a situation and release pent up energy has a freeing effect. No longer carrying the emotional burden caused by a memory has a profound outcome. Our minds are clear and we are free to move forward.

We can only be sure that we have forgiven something or someone when the details of an experience or event have completely left our consciousness. To no longer be able to remember something from the past in great detail, including memories of the emotional impact of some event is a sign we are healing and moving on. Until a memory no longer comes into our consciousness we can be assured there is more work for us to do in forgiving.

At this time in the evolution of human consciousness, there are so many examples of conflict in need of resolution and forgiveness. In some cases it's hard to believe that people are acting in a conscious way that result in someone being badly hurt. Behind the actions of so many are the coarser and cruder emotions. What is hard to understand is that each of us is doing what we feel is the right thing to do. So in effect, none of us are acting from a conscious place of hurting others. We are all doing the best we can. It just doesn't appear that way to others.

As a part of human nature and a major cause of reincarnation comes from our desires, in our relationship with others we find ourselves with expectations of who they are and what they will do for us. In part this can be a spoken or unspoken agreement. When we find that others are violating our trust, or disregarding our needs, emotional pain and suffering follow. The depth of the pain and suffering is directly related to our personal expectation of another or the situation. The combination of desires and expectations create a tremendous amount of emotional baggage that we all carry to one degree or another.

For the Christian community, forgiveness is a basic tenet upon which the church was built. The Bible reads that at the time of the crucifixion, Jesus asked God to "forgive them, for they know not what they do." So in a way we are taught two very important beliefs about life. The first is that people and events are going to happen that create deep emotional responses that will be hard for us to move beyond and that the ideal we are to strive for is learning to forgive.

One of the biggest personal responsibilities we have to ourselves rests in how we choose to spend our time. The continuing unfolding of spiritual consciousness would suggest more and more time being focused on thinking of God. We only have so many hours in each day. Should we spend our time dwelling in the past and the emotional memory of something that we need for forgive and forget? Or do we spend the day in a waking consciousness of the world in which we have incarnated?

Here are some thoughts to pray on, journal or meditate:

How many issues can you think of that need forgiveness in your life?

What power or impact do these issues continue to hold in your life?

Can you visualize what you life would look like or how you would feel if you entered into forgiveness?

As you think about who you are, what role to you feel forgiveness holds in your process of advancing as a spiritual being?

Your comments and questions are welcome. Please email me at Steve@stephenthomson.net or visit my website www.StephenThomson.net. You can purchase my book The Secret Key by going to the Ma'at Bookstore.

About Stephen Thomson

Steve Thomson is a writer, teacher, and psychic, well-known throughout the United States. He leads workshops about metaphysical practices, including meditation, expansion of the psychic senses, spiritual magic, the Tarot, and the Kabbala. He also guides journeys to sacred sites around the world. For over 20 years, Steve has been a member of the Rosicrucian Order AMORC and he has been a student of Paramahansa Yogananda's, Self-Realization Fellowship for over 10 years. His book entitled The Secret Key is available through our website. He is currently working on a new book entitled Discovering Your Spiritual Truth — A Primer for the Path — Things to Think About, Meditate On and Journal, which will be available by the end of 2009.

You may write Steven personally at Steve@stephenthomson.net
or visit his website: www.stephenthomson.net